This week saw fundraises from “robots-as-a-service” startup BlueWhite, insect protein producer Protix, and AgFunder portco vertical farming technology provider Intelligent Growth Solutions (IGS). Other startups closed new rounds for livestock health, mycelium protein and last-mile input distribution for ag.
Alt-meat also nabbed a few headlines when companies unveiled cultivated eel and cultivated 3-D printed shrimp. Simultaneously, news surfaced of proposals in France to ban cultivated meat.
Foodtech funding
🇩🇪 ‘The largest investment in mycelium in Europe…’ Infinite Roots nets $58m to scale ‘asset-light’ operation AgFunderNews
🇺🇸 Elo Life Systems raises $20.5m in series A2, aims to launch natural sweetener in 2026: ‘Everyone is trying to reduce sugar’ AgFunderNews
🇧🇬 Armed with $8.7m in fresh capital, Nasekomo builds insect ag franchise model AgFunderNews
🇮🇱 Chunk foods secures $7.5M amid strategic collab with Better Balance for vegan whole cuts Vegconomist
🇺🇸 C16 Biosciences raises $4.5M to expand into food Axios
🇸🇬 Meals in Minutes cooks up $1.5m to expand meal kit offerings Tech in Asia
Agtech funding
🇺🇸 Bluewhite rakes in $39M for robots-as-a-service that can be retrofitted to drive any tractor TechCrunch
🇳🇱 EIB funds Protix’s insect-based protein production expansion with €37M Tech.eu
🇬🇧 Intelligent Growth Solutions news: £22.5M Series C iGrow News
🇨🇱 PhageLab raises $11 million to develop bacteriophage solutions to treat bacterial outbreaks in the livestock industry Bakersfield.com
🇳🇴 Norway: Rift Labs signs $4.5M deal to scale LED lights in CEA Vertical Farm Daily
🇰🇪 Shamba Pride gains $3.7 million investment to transform agricultural distribution in Kenya Tech in Africa
🇦🇪 Crysp Farms secures $2.25 million pre-Series A round Wamda
M&A, IPOs & partnerships
🇺🇸 🇬🇧 TraceGains acquires NutriCalc Food Business News
Funds, grants & accelerators
🇪🇸 Madrid-based Eatable Adventures concludes first closing of its €30 million fund to invest in agri-food tech EU Startups
People moves
🇺🇸 ADM shares plunge as CFO takes forced leave amid accounting probe Agriculture Dive
🇺🇸 Precision pollination company BeeHero welcomes Ze’ev Barylka as chief sales & marketing officer PR Newswire
🇺🇸 Impossible Foods continues to expand, evolve and invest in people and capabilities, names new chief financial officer and chief people officer Business Wire
🇺🇸 Effertz joins Kula Bio as head of field technology for new biofertilizer, Kula-N Business Wire [Disclosure: AgFunderNews parent company, AgFunder, is an investor in Kula Bio]
🇩🇰 Agreena appoints first Chief Finance Officer Agreena
🇬🇧 OCEANIUM appoints Benjamin Armenjon of Ÿnsect to scale and commercialise innovative seaweed products Vegconomist
Other news
🇮🇱 Forsea unveils first cultured eel Perishable News
🇩🇪 Food waste fighting startup SIRPLUS files for insolvency Tech.eu
🇺🇸 BrightFarms latest news: voluntary recall of spinach & salad kits due to potential listeria contamination iGrow News
🇺🇸 Organic Valley begins paying dairy farmers to capture carbon Agriculture Dive
🇫🇷 France follows Italy’s lead with proposals to ban cultivated meat Ingredients Network
🇮🇱 Startup creates world’s first 3-D printed, plant-based shrimp No Camels
🇮🇳 India’s Swiggy to slash 6% of workforce to trim costs Reuters
Sponsored
International Fresh Produce Association launches year 3 of its produce accelerator